You are here: Liaison: March 2015

Liaison: the latest news from CCOHS

Infographic: Workplace Violence Prevention

Keep violence and harassment prevention top of mind

Wherever people interact, there is unfortunately the potential for violence. A workplace is no different. Workplace violence and harassment can have big implications and impact on your staff, culture, and reputation.

Like our infographics? We encourage you to share via your online social networks and e-mail. CCOHS also develops posters ideal for printing and display, based on the guidance offered in our infographics.

Select the image to view it at full-size.

Welcome to the new CCOHS

The CCOHS website has been redesigned to comply with the Web Standards for the Government of Canada. It's a commitment to deliver websites and applications that are more accessible, usable, interoperable and optimized for mobile devices.

Here are a few quick tips to help you get the most out of our website:

Use the five key topic tabs in the main navigation bar to find information, products and services on a specific topic. Click on the Topic - Main page to see all related sub-topics.

Want to quickly bring up product and service categories like publications or e-courses? Use the "I am looking for..." tab as a shortcut to programs and categories of products, services and information from CCOHS.

WHMIS 2015 is Here

Resources to help with the transition to the new WHMIS

A new website is available to help Canadians transition from the old WHMIS (1988) system to WHMIS 2015 which implements the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).

WHMIS.org provides Canadians with a single point of access to the most current information about WHMIS 2015 from all of the jurisdictions across Canada. The website also contains helpful tools and resources for workers, employers, suppliers and trainers.

WHMIS.org was developed by CCOHS in collaboration with the Workplace Hazardous Materials Bureau of Health Canada (formerly the National Office of WHMIS) and each of the federal, provincial and territorial occupational health and safety regulatory jurisdictions across Canada.

Reflect and Renew on April 28

Show your support on the National Day of Mourning

April 28th is the National Day of Mourning, and the numbers tell us why it's needed: in 2013, 902 workplace deaths were recorded in Canada. While it's the lowest total since 2000 when 882 fatalities were recorded, this number still represents 2.47 deaths every single day.

Organizations can demonstrate their support with awareness items from CCOHS. Display posters throughout your workplace, and hand out commemorative pins to staff - and make time to remember those lives lost or injured in the workplace, and to renew your commitment to prevention.

To ensure that you receive your materials in time, we recommend placing your order by March 31.

Maintain the Momentum

Keep the conversation going on workplace mental health

Imagine working in a highly productive environment in which you feel safe, respected and valued; the work is challenging; the demands of the job are reasonable; you have work-life balance; and your employer supports your involvement in your work and interpersonal growth and development. This is what is known as a mentally healthy workplace.

Employers are required by law to protect the mental and physical health of their employees. Many provincial occupational health and safety acts have been expanded to include harm to psychological well-being in the definition of harassment. In jurisdictions that do not have explicit legislation dealing with psychological health in the workplace, the general duty clause would apply.

To effectively incorporate mental health in the workplace and keep the momentum going all-year round, employers can follow these tips:

Increase worker control over their daily tasks

Foster a civil and respectful workplace

Improve dialogue

Clearly define roles and expectations

Promote healthy, physical activities

Optimize work processes and tasks

Encourage involvement and recognize contributions

Encourage and strengthen peer support

Have conflict resolution processes in place

Make mental well-being part of your organizational structure

Consider the mental and psychological impacts of making changes in the workplace

Featured e-Course: Health and Safety Committees in the Canadian Federal Jurisdiction

This course provides a practical introduction to policy and workplace health and safety committees and discusses the roles and responsibilities of a committee and its members, helping them to bring the "internal responsibility system" into practice and to meet training requirements specified in the Canada Labour Code, Part II.

What's Popular

Our online service puts all of your safety data sheets in one convenient location. Setup is simple. Provide us with your SDSs in electronic format or as paper originals and we'll take care of the rest, making sure that your collection always has the most current data sheet available from the manufacturer.

About three of every four Canadians whose job includes manual materials handling suffer pain due to back injury at some time. Display this poster filled with practical tips to help remind workers of how to lift and handle materials properly and safely in the workplace.

Get more workplace violence prevention tools from CCOHS so you learn your legal responsibilities, recognize and prevent violence, and reinforce key messages. Purchase any one of our featured products by March 25 and use promotion code noviolence to be entered into a draw to win a Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker (valued at $220).

While office work may seem harmless, prolonged sitting, typing on a keyboard and using a mouse for hours at a time every day can set the stage for musculoskeletal injuries. In this podcast, we explain the three ergonomic risk factors of office work.